The Seed House, Castlecrag

Hearkening to the place of Fitzpatrick’s childhood, several native Tasmanian timbers serve as the foundational building elements in the kitchen. As with all of the details and materials utilized in the kitchen, each timber has a unique origin story. The light, celery top pine, used for the columns and internal linings, spent 25 years at the bottom of a lake in southern Tasmania. After being rescued, the timber took two years to dry, imparting a unique wave of color through the grain. The blackwood used for the kitchen joinery was nearly impossible to source—the timber merchant had stored the material for a quarter of a century, only releasing it for sale after the drawings for Seed House were reviewed and approved as a reverential use of the material. The timbers built the foundation of the canvas that would document Fitzpatrick’s family’s experiences in the home. To him, the kitchen is a space that should develop a sort of patina overtime—aging, growing, and adapting as naturally and beautifully as the family.